Quick Draft Dish: Week 12 & 13

WEEK TWELVE

SOUTH CAROLINA @ FLORIDA

Ø  FLORIDA JR DE DANTE FOWLER is a tremendous pass rushing prospect. Fowler has great knee bend and an array of pass rush moves. He beat SOUTH CAROLINA JR OT BRANDON SHELL like a drum on several plays. Fowler can cover well in space. He looks comfortable as a stand up linebacker, but I think his best football is played with his hand down. Fowler has already declared for the 2015 NFL Draft.

MISSISSIPPI STATE @ ALABAMA

Ø  MISSISSIPPI STATE SR OT BLAINE CLAUSELL is not a draftable tackle prospect, in my opinion. Clausell is heavy-footed and isn’t very strong at the point. Clausell may be able to inside, but I don’t know if he can succeed.

UNLV @ BYU

Ø  UNLV SR OT BRETT BOYKO is a DFD favorite. Boyko kicked inside to guard because the Rebels coaching staff believed they were weaker on the interior. Boyko looked at home on the inside, just adding to his value. I think Boyko is a top 100 player.

Ø  UNLV SR WR DEVANTE DAVIS finally returned from an injury that has kept him sidelined for the bulk of the season. Davis has a big frame with a huge catch radius. He doesn’t have elite speed.

AUBURN @ GEORGIA

Ø  GEORGIA JR RB TODD GURLEY tore his ACL late in the 4^th quarter of this game. Gurley was coming off a suspension for selling his autograph. He was primed to be the first RB picked in the first round since 2012, but that is unlikely to happen now. It really is a shame.

FLORIDA STATE @ MIAMI (FL)

Ø  FLORIDA STATE SR OT CAMERON ERVING switched to center in this game. He had some success there. Like I said about Boyko earlier, anytime you can add value by showing versatility, it’s always a good thing.

WEEK THIRTEEN

SOUTH ALABAMA @ SOUTH CAROLINA

Ø  SOUTH ALABAMA SR QB BRANDON BRIDGE didn’t start in this game because of injury. He came on in relief, but really struggled. He hasn’t been consistent all season, and the injuries are not helping.

Ø  SOUTH ALABAMA SR TE WES SAXTON is also banged up. He had a couple of catches in the first half, but he was a non-factor for most of the game.

UTSA @ WESTERN KENTUCKY

Ø  WESTERN KENTUCKY SR CB CAM THOMAS is a long, lean corner prospect. Thomas is aggressive in press coverage. He can tackle well and has good closing speed. Thomas right now is a late round prospect. He has a Shrine Game invite.

MARYLAND @ MICHIGAN

Ø  MICHIGAN SR OLB JAKE RYAN is a solid prospect. Ryan is always around the football. Ryan has pass rush ability. He doesn’t have plus physical tools.

SYRACUSE @ PITTSBURGH

Ø  PITTSBURGH SR OT T.J. CLEMMINGS is a fast-rising tackle prospect.  Clemmings has a ferocious punch. He is very powerful. He plays right tackle for the Panthers. He has accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl. He will get a chance in Mobile to show if he has the athleticism to handle the left side.

MISSOURI STATE @ NORTHERN IOWA

Ø  NORTHERN IOWA SR RB DAVID JOHNSON is a big running back. Johnson is 6’2” 230 pounds. He is a tremendous receiver out of the backfield. He has good burst and vision. Some people in the draft community think he has a future at fullback or H-back. I am anxious to see him at the Senior Bowl.

SAMFORD @ AUBURN

Ø  SAMFORD SR DS JAQUISKI TARTT was not 100% heading into this game. Tartt was visibly slowed and was even helped off the field at one point. Tartt has accepted a Senior Bowl invite, and hopefully he will be healthy by then.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC @ MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Ø  FAU SR CB D’JOUN SMITH is a good cover man. MTSU threw at him only once, and it was unsuccessful. Smith isn’t much of a tackler. Smith has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl.

MISSOURI @ TENNESSEE

Ø  MISSOURI JR OLB SHANE RAY has tremendous burst. Ray uses his hands well to disengage. Ray is very instinctive. He could end up being one of the top pass rushers in this class.

What We're Watching: Week 13

11/22/2014

South Alabama-@-South Carolina-11am-FSN

UTSA-@-Western Kentucky-11am-FSN

Maryland-@-Michigan-2:30pm-BTN

Syracuse-@-Pittsburgh-2:30pm-ESPNU

Colorado-@-Oregon-3:30pm-P12N

Missouri State-@-Northern Iowa-4pm-CSNC

Samford-@-Auburn-6pm-ESPNU

Florida Atlantic-@-Middle Tennessee-6pm-ASN

Missouri-@-Tennessee-6:30pm-ESPN

Southern Cal-@-UCLA-7pm -ABC

What We're Watching: Week 12

11/15/2014

South Carolina-@-Florida-11am-SECN

Mississippi State-@-Alabama-2:30pm-CBS

UNLV-@-BYU-6pm-ESPNU

Auburn-@-Georgia-6:15pm-ESPN

Florida State-@-Miami (FL)-7pm-ABC

Quick Draft Dish: Week 11

WEEK ELEVEN

TOLEDO @ KENT STATE

Ø  TOLEDO SR OLB JUNIOR SYLVESTRE is an undersized backer. Sylvestre covers well in space. He struggles when taking on running backs.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN @ NORFOLK STATE

Ø  NORFOLK STATE SR DE LYNDEN TRAIL is a transfer from Florida and is an imposing specimen. At 6’6” 260 pounds, he holds up well in the run game. He doesn’t have the quickest first step, but is a solid pass rusher. Trail can play with his hand down or standing up. He has been invited to play in the Shrine Game.

Ø  BETHUNE-COOKMAN SR DE LEBRANDON RICHARDSON is a solid prospect. Richardson has a quick first step. He has good burst. He looks kind of squatty, and I am willing to bet he measures in at less than 6’1”. Richardson transferred from UCF.

IOWA STATE @ KANSAS

Ø  KANSAS SR ILB BEN HEENY is an average prospect. Heeny is a decent tackler. He has average speed. At the NFL level, his ceiling is a core special teams player/backup linebacker. He is a free agent signing at best.

WEST VIRGINIA @ TEXAS

Ø  TEXAS SR OLB JORDAN HICKS is an instinctive linebacker prospect. Hicks reads offenses quickly and reacts well to it. He does not offer much in the way of a pass rush. He is a solid coverage linebacker. Hicks suffered season ending injuries during the first four games of the last two seasons. He has reportedly applied for a sixth year of eligibility. If he is denied the extra year, he will be a solid day three prospect.

LOUISVILLE @ BOSTON COLLEGE

Ø  BOSTON COLLEGE SR OC ANDY GALLIK is an okay center prospect. Gallik holds up well at the point and has solid athletic ability. Gallik struggled a couple of times recognizing a stunt, getting his QB hammered.

ALABAMA @ LSU

Ø  LSU JR DE DANIELLE HUNTER is a long armed, athletic player. Hunter uses his length well to get off blocks and disrupt the passing game. Hunter has quick hands. He has a lean frame that could hold at least 20 more pounds. He could benefit from another year in school, but if he were to come out early, he would be a borderline top 100 prospect.

COLORADO @ ARIZONA

Ø  ARIZONA SR OT MICKEY BAUCAS is at this time a low-level tackle prospect. Baucas has sloppy footwork and isn’t strong at the point of attack. He has the body framework to handle the position, but the results aren’t there.

OHIO STATE @ MICHIGAN STATE

Ø  OHIO STATE SR DT MICHAEL BENNETT is a very good prospect. This was my first prolonged exposure to Bennett. He was very disruptive, making several plays in the backfield. Bennett has good power, hand usage, and quickness. Bennett did have a few OHA (“On His Ass”) plays in the third quarter. Bennett is a fringe first round prospect, and is solidly in the top 64.

OREGON @ UTAH

Ø  OREGON JR TE PHAROAH BROWN, who had elevated himself to the top of my tight end rankings, was severely injured late in the fourth quarter. It was a non-contact injury. Brown’s right leg bent in ways a leg should not bend. As of the time I am writing this, he is still in a Salt Lake City hospital. He needs multiple surgeries to set the leg back correctly. His long term prognosis is not yet known.

Ø  OREGON SR OC HRONISS GRASU also left the game with an injury to his left leg. As of right now, I have not heard the severity of his injury. 

What We're Watching: Week 11

11/4/2014

Toledo-@-Kent State-7pm-ESPNU

11/6/2014

Bethune Cookman-@-Norfolk State-6:30pm-ESPNU

11/8/2014

Iowa State-@-Kansas-2:30pm-FSN

West Virginia-@-Texas  -2:30pm-FS1

Louisville-@-Boston College-6:15pm-ESPN2

Alabama-@-LSU-7pm-CBS

Colorado-@-Arizona  -7pm-P12N

Ohio State-@-Michigan State-7pm-ABC

Oregon-@-Utah-9pm-ESPN

Quick Draft Dish: Week 10

WEEK TEN

FLORIDA STATE @ LOUISVILLE

Ø  LOUISVILLE SR WR DEVANTE PARKER is my top rated senior wide receiver and one of the best in the nation. This game was only his second game back from injury he suffered before the season. Parker is a physical receiver who wins most contested catches. Parker is an excellent route runner and is faster than he showed in this game.

Ø  LOUISVILLE SR RB MICHAEL DYER is finally starting to get back to the level he played at as a true freshman at Auburn. Dyer left Auburn because of disciplinary issues, and then was kicked out of Arkansas State before ever seeing the field. By all reports, Dyer has straightened his life out and has been a model citizen since joining the Cardinals’ program. Dyer does not have breakaway speed, but he is far from being slow. He runs very physical. He gets very skinny when attacking the line of scrimmage. I don’t know if Dyer is a Top-100 prospect, but he will contribute at the next level.

CINCINNATI @ TULANE

Ø  TULANE JR CB LORENZO DOSS isn’t much of a prospect at this stage for me. He has solid cover skills, but nothing that jumps out and says “HEY! DRAFT ME!” At only 168 pounds, he could also stand to gain a little weight. Doss would be best served at staying at Tulane for his senior season.

LA-MONROE @ TEXAS A&M

Ø  LA-MONROE SR QB PETE THOMAS has great size at 6’5” 220 pounds. He has a weird looking three quarter-side arm release. He has adequate athletic ability. Thomas is a multi-transfer player. He is likely an undrafted free agent prospect.

WASHINGTON @ COLORADO

Ø  WASHINGTON JR CB MARCUS PETERS is a phenomenal defender. Peters has great ball skills and closing speed. Peters is top-notch in press coverage. Peters could be drafted as high as the top ten, but could fall because of some off-field baggage.

NC STATE @ SYRACUSE

Ø  NC STATE SR OT ROB CRISP was once considered a top ten tackle prospect. Crisp has suffered through multiple injuries in his career. He has decent power, but his athleticism has suffered because of the injuries. He is a late round guy at best.

HARVARD @ DARTMOUTH

Ø  HARVARD SR DE ZACH HODGES is a player I need to see at the Senior Bowl (or another all-star game). Hodges shows great quickness and hand usage, but in this game, I didn’t see a finisher. Barring injury, I think we will see him in Mobile.

HOUSTON @ SOUTH FLORIDA

Ø  HOUSTON SR ILB DERRICK MATTHEWS did not play in this game. After doing more research on the subject, Matthews was lost for the season with a torn ACL about three weeks ago. Matthews was already undersized, and now he must overcome the injury during the pre-draft process.

STANFORD @ OREGON

Ø  STANFORD JR WR TY MONTGOMERY is more of an “offensive weapon” than a wide receiver. He doesn’t do anything do anything at wide receiver particularly well. Montgomery is electric with the ball in his hands. He is a dynamic return man. Montgomery is a player you want on your team, because of his ability to change the game.  

TENNESSEE @ SOUTH CAROLINA

Ø  TENNESSEE SR ILB A.J. JOHNSON is a steady player. Johnson isn’t flashy, but he makes tackles all over the field. Johnson has good range. His position has been somewhat devalued at the NFL level. Johnson at worst will make a squad on special teams.

COLORADO STATE @ SAN JOSE STATE

Ø  SAN JOSE STATE JR RB TYLER ERVIN jumped onto my radar in this game. Ervin has great acceleration. He is listed as a wide receiver on the Spartan’s roster, but it is clear he has found a home at running back. Ervin has great hands, but that is expected from a player that has made the conversion he has made. I expect him to return for his senior season and be a name to look for during the next draft cycle.

UTAH @ ARIZONA STATE

Ø  UTAH SR WR DRES ANDERSON will miss the rest of the season after he injured his knee. Anderson is the son of former NFL wide receiver Flipper Anderson. He will hopefully be able to work out for teams before the draft. Before the injury, I had Anderson rated in the 4^th to 5^th round range.

QUICK DRAFT DISH: WEEK 9

WEEK NINE

BYU @ BOISE STATE

Ø  BYU SR TE DEVIN MAHINA is not much of a prospect for me at this stage. Mahina is a solid blocker, but he doesn’t offer much as a receiving threat. Mahina has unreliable hands and he isn’t very athletic.

OREGON @ CAL

Ø  CAL RSOPH ILB HARDY NICKERSON is not a highly rated prospect to me right now. He is undersized and takes bad pursuit angles. He is the son of the NFL great by the same name. He needs at least more year to refine his technique and get bigger before he even thinks of declaring for the draft.

MINNESOTA @ ILLINOIS

Ø  MINNESOTA SR RB DAVID COBB is a hardnosed runner. Cobb is rarely brought down on first contact. He has decent speed and is average in the passing game.

DELAWARE @ WILLIAM & MARY

Ø  WILLIAM & MARY SR WR TRE’ MCBBRIDE is very athletic. McBride has very good speed and is good with the ball in his hands. He is very raw as a wide receiver. He has return game ability.

Ø  WILLIAM & MARY SR DE MIKE REILLY is a high motor guy. He has great size. He was drawing double-teams nearly the entire game against Delaware.

NORTH CAROLINA @ VIRGINIA

Ø  VIRGINIA SR RB KEVIN PARKS is a prospect I may have prematurely typecast as “just another guy”. In this game, Parks showed very good elusiveness and change of direction. He also has soft hands. He is still no more than a third down back in the NFL, but he may not be just a camp body like I wrote a month ago.

MISSISSIPPI STATE @ KENTUCKY

Ø  KENTUCKY SR DE ALVIN DUPREE is a versatile pass rusher. Dupree is quicker than fast. He has very good closing speed. He can be a stand up outside linebacker or a hand-down defensive end. Dupree is a likely second day pick, with a chance to elevate himself into the first round.

WEST VIRGINIA @ OKLAHOMA STATE

Ø  WEST VIRGINIA SR OG QUINTON SPAIN is a very solid guard prospect. He is very strong at the point of attack and is very athletic for his size. Spain is quick to the second level. He could be a fast riser as the draft process plays out.

SOUTH CAROLINA @ AUBURN

Ø  AUBURN SR OC REESE DISMUKES is one of the top center prospects. Dismukes has started every game for the Tigers since he stepped on campus. He has great power at the point of attack. Dismukes gets to the second level quickly. It is hard to gauge what kind of pass blocker he is, because is so rarely asked to be a traditional pass blocker. This is not unlike the issue I had when watching Greg Robinson a year ago and he went 2^nd overall. With all that being said, Dismukes will be battling OREGON SR OC HRONISS GRASSU for the top spot in my center rankings.

SOUTHERN CAL @ UTAH

Ø  UTAH SR DS BRIAN BLECHEN is a solid and slightly underrated prospect. Blechen has good range and solid speed. He is a solid tackler. He has had multiple injuries that will affect his final grade.

ARIZONA STATE @ WASHINGTON

Ø  WASHINGTON SR ILB JOHN TIMU is going to rise up draft boards. Timu has good speed and very good cover skills. He diagnoses plays quickly. He does a good job of filling the gaps on running plays.